CONSULTATION CHECKLIST:
Please watch this short 5 minute video for more information about preparing for your personal injury consultation.
Once you have appointment with our office, please gather the following items (as much as you can) before our meeting. The more of these items you are able to gather, the more productive our meeting will be:
1) ALL Photographs depicting damage to your vehicle and any physical injuries (bruises, cuts, scrapes, etc). If you don’t have photos, please try your best to take some. Photos should capture the damage from several angles and distances (a whole bunch of very close-up shots don't really help convey the damage). If your insurance company took photos, please ask them to get you those pictures as well. You can email your photos to info@valencialawyer.com or text them to us (call for our "photos only" text line). Basically, send us all photos you have. If the files you are sending are too large to send via email, you can try using www.FileMail.com which offers an easy and free resource you can use when sending large files.
2) Your auto insurance information (name, address, policy numbers and claim numbers if available). If you have the “Declarations Page” showing evidence of insurance (and summary of available coverage) for the date of the accident, that is best. This document outlines the important information including your policy number, amount of coverage, etc. If you don’t have it, please call your insurance company and/or your insurance broker and ask them for your "declarations page." Most of the time, this page is sent to you along with the little "proof of insurance" cards you get when you obtain/renew your policy. Click here for a sample Declarations Page.
3) Insurance information of all other parties. Including insurance name, policy numbers if known, claim number if known, adjuster, address, etc. Bring any letters you've received from ANY insurance company, including yours.
4) Property damage estimates (if available). It is often helpful to obtain a good property damage estimate that outlines all the parts of your car that were damaged. Frame damage and other significant entries on your property damage estimate can affect your case.
5) Any and ALL doctors and facilities with whom you have treated. Please provide all contact information (names, phone numbers, addresses, etc). Make sure that whenever you go for treatment related to this accident, you MUST tell the health care provider you are there because of the accident. If you don’t mention the accident, some insurance adjusters will doubt whether the treatment was accident-related. If you already have some medical records and billing related to the accident, please bring that too.
6) Please bring your health care information (if you have health care, bring a copy of any health care cards you have). If you have Medi-Cal or Medicare, please bring that information as well.
7) Police report (if available). If you have the police report number, we can order the police report for you (once we represent you). If you already have the police report, please provide a copy. If there was no police report prepared, please let us know that as well. In some cases, your insurance company may have obtained a police report so they can send you a copy.
8) Basically bring everything that is related to your auto accident. If in doubt, bring it. We can make copies here in our office. Analyzing these accident cases is like putting a puzzle together. Just like any puzzle, the more pieces you have, the easier it will be for us to "see the whole picture" and offer you good advice.
SOME DO’S AND DON’TS OF ACCIDENT CASES
Not all of these necessarily apply to your specific situation, and this is not a complete list, but please review these important reminders.
THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO:
1. Don’t post anything to social media (Facebook Twitter, etc). Be mindful of what you post since the insurance companies WILL be researching you online. It is best to stay off social media while your matter is ongoing.
2. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR at a storage/tow lot. Storage/tow lots charge high storage fees. You cannot assume the insurance companies are “handling” this. If you want your insurance company to handle the property damage, you should contact them and make a claim and arrange for the inspection of the vehicle. If you want the OTHER party’s insurance company to handle the property damage, you need to contact them and open a property damage claim and arrange for the inspection.
3. Don’t speak with ANY adjusters about your injuries without consulting with a lawyer.
4. Avoid renting a car on your own! Discuss with us first! Many clients go and rent a car thinking they will get paid back by the insurance company. Even if you have rental car coverage on your own insurance policy, that doesn’t mean you can rent a car for $50/day. You need to be aware of any limitations your insurance policy may have regarding rentals.
5. Don’t skip any health care appointments. Missed appointments will be used against you by the insurance companies. They will argue that you weren’t really hurt because you canceled appointments and/or failed to show up.
6. Don’t ignore bills from a hospital, ambulance, ER, or other providers. You are responsible for these bills.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO:
1. Take photos of car damage and physical injuries right away. The insurance adjuster’s job is to minimize your claim. Photos that show injuries and damage can help fight against that. If your visible injuries don’t disappear right away, take photos every few days.
2. Get medical care if you are injured. If you don’t get medical care, the insurance company will argue that you were not injured.
3. Your medical history is important. If you are seeking health care after your accident, inform your health care providers of any aggravation or exacerbation of a previous injury. For example, if you say you never had back pain before the accident, and then your medical history reveals you actually had prior back pain, it might look like you are lying which may sink your entire case. In short, don’t ignore your medical history. It may become important – even if you had pain years ago.
4. If you cannot work, get a note from your doctor for each period you are unable to work. Insurance companies generally won’t honor claims for lost wages unless you were following doctor’s orders to stay off work.
5. If you use your own health insurance for any accident care/treatment, your health insurance company will likely be entitled to reimbursement from any settlement. Usually they will hire another company to pursue this reimbursement. Companies commonly used are “Meridian”, “Rawlings”, “Optum” and others. This right to reimbursement is contained in most health insurance contracts and extends to Medi-Cal and Medicare. With respect to Medi-Cal, it can take months to get an answer from the Department of Health Care Services.
6. Your “diagnosed injuries” affect the evaluation of your case. You MUST tell your doctors about ALL injuries. Be VERY specific. Doctors can’t read your mind. If something isn’t documented, it probably won’t be considered by the adjuster. The most important thing when it comes to your medical care is proper documentation!
7. How an accident affects your life may also affect the evaluation of your case. You must inform your doctors of any daily activities (work, school, household, etc.) that are affected by your accident. Remember, you want your records to document all the effects of the accident. Try keeping a journal about how your daily life is affected by your injuries. If something isn’t in your medical records, it probably won’t be considered by an insurance adjuster.
Thank you very much. We look forward to our initial consultation. Even if we are unable to take the case, we will do our best to offer you guidance and answer your questions. Call (661) 414-7100 if you have any other questions.
1) ALL Photographs depicting damage to your vehicle and any physical injuries (bruises, cuts, scrapes, etc). If you don’t have photos, please try your best to take some. Photos should capture the damage from several angles and distances (a whole bunch of very close-up shots don't really help convey the damage). If your insurance company took photos, please ask them to get you those pictures as well. You can email your photos to info@valencialawyer.com or text them to us (call for our "photos only" text line). Basically, send us all photos you have. If the files you are sending are too large to send via email, you can try using www.FileMail.com which offers an easy and free resource you can use when sending large files.
2) Your auto insurance information (name, address, policy numbers and claim numbers if available). If you have the “Declarations Page” showing evidence of insurance (and summary of available coverage) for the date of the accident, that is best. This document outlines the important information including your policy number, amount of coverage, etc. If you don’t have it, please call your insurance company and/or your insurance broker and ask them for your "declarations page." Most of the time, this page is sent to you along with the little "proof of insurance" cards you get when you obtain/renew your policy. Click here for a sample Declarations Page.
3) Insurance information of all other parties. Including insurance name, policy numbers if known, claim number if known, adjuster, address, etc. Bring any letters you've received from ANY insurance company, including yours.
4) Property damage estimates (if available). It is often helpful to obtain a good property damage estimate that outlines all the parts of your car that were damaged. Frame damage and other significant entries on your property damage estimate can affect your case.
5) Any and ALL doctors and facilities with whom you have treated. Please provide all contact information (names, phone numbers, addresses, etc). Make sure that whenever you go for treatment related to this accident, you MUST tell the health care provider you are there because of the accident. If you don’t mention the accident, some insurance adjusters will doubt whether the treatment was accident-related. If you already have some medical records and billing related to the accident, please bring that too.
6) Please bring your health care information (if you have health care, bring a copy of any health care cards you have). If you have Medi-Cal or Medicare, please bring that information as well.
7) Police report (if available). If you have the police report number, we can order the police report for you (once we represent you). If you already have the police report, please provide a copy. If there was no police report prepared, please let us know that as well. In some cases, your insurance company may have obtained a police report so they can send you a copy.
8) Basically bring everything that is related to your auto accident. If in doubt, bring it. We can make copies here in our office. Analyzing these accident cases is like putting a puzzle together. Just like any puzzle, the more pieces you have, the easier it will be for us to "see the whole picture" and offer you good advice.
SOME DO’S AND DON’TS OF ACCIDENT CASES
Not all of these necessarily apply to your specific situation, and this is not a complete list, but please review these important reminders.
THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT DO:
1. Don’t post anything to social media (Facebook Twitter, etc). Be mindful of what you post since the insurance companies WILL be researching you online. It is best to stay off social media while your matter is ongoing.
2. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR at a storage/tow lot. Storage/tow lots charge high storage fees. You cannot assume the insurance companies are “handling” this. If you want your insurance company to handle the property damage, you should contact them and make a claim and arrange for the inspection of the vehicle. If you want the OTHER party’s insurance company to handle the property damage, you need to contact them and open a property damage claim and arrange for the inspection.
3. Don’t speak with ANY adjusters about your injuries without consulting with a lawyer.
4. Avoid renting a car on your own! Discuss with us first! Many clients go and rent a car thinking they will get paid back by the insurance company. Even if you have rental car coverage on your own insurance policy, that doesn’t mean you can rent a car for $50/day. You need to be aware of any limitations your insurance policy may have regarding rentals.
5. Don’t skip any health care appointments. Missed appointments will be used against you by the insurance companies. They will argue that you weren’t really hurt because you canceled appointments and/or failed to show up.
6. Don’t ignore bills from a hospital, ambulance, ER, or other providers. You are responsible for these bills.
THINGS YOU SHOULD DO:
1. Take photos of car damage and physical injuries right away. The insurance adjuster’s job is to minimize your claim. Photos that show injuries and damage can help fight against that. If your visible injuries don’t disappear right away, take photos every few days.
2. Get medical care if you are injured. If you don’t get medical care, the insurance company will argue that you were not injured.
3. Your medical history is important. If you are seeking health care after your accident, inform your health care providers of any aggravation or exacerbation of a previous injury. For example, if you say you never had back pain before the accident, and then your medical history reveals you actually had prior back pain, it might look like you are lying which may sink your entire case. In short, don’t ignore your medical history. It may become important – even if you had pain years ago.
4. If you cannot work, get a note from your doctor for each period you are unable to work. Insurance companies generally won’t honor claims for lost wages unless you were following doctor’s orders to stay off work.
5. If you use your own health insurance for any accident care/treatment, your health insurance company will likely be entitled to reimbursement from any settlement. Usually they will hire another company to pursue this reimbursement. Companies commonly used are “Meridian”, “Rawlings”, “Optum” and others. This right to reimbursement is contained in most health insurance contracts and extends to Medi-Cal and Medicare. With respect to Medi-Cal, it can take months to get an answer from the Department of Health Care Services.
6. Your “diagnosed injuries” affect the evaluation of your case. You MUST tell your doctors about ALL injuries. Be VERY specific. Doctors can’t read your mind. If something isn’t documented, it probably won’t be considered by the adjuster. The most important thing when it comes to your medical care is proper documentation!
7. How an accident affects your life may also affect the evaluation of your case. You must inform your doctors of any daily activities (work, school, household, etc.) that are affected by your accident. Remember, you want your records to document all the effects of the accident. Try keeping a journal about how your daily life is affected by your injuries. If something isn’t in your medical records, it probably won’t be considered by an insurance adjuster.
Thank you very much. We look forward to our initial consultation. Even if we are unable to take the case, we will do our best to offer you guidance and answer your questions. Call (661) 414-7100 if you have any other questions.